Life Turning Point (LTP), a nonprofit that provides a transitional home to mothers and children looking for housing, offers up to 18 months of a biblically based life-skills program. During this time, women at LTP are trained in self-sufficiency and assisted in the process of finding employment and permanent housing.

However, according to Rita Whitaker, founder and executive director of LTP, this is not a surefire method for immediate success.

“Sometimes we have women that complete the program, they have the classes here, they get the counseling, they have mentoring, all these things, and even though they’ve received all those services at the end of 18 months, they’re still not quite ready — mentally, psychologically, spiritually — to be on their own,” Whitaker said. “They need more continued support.”

To offer this support, LTP is fundraising to renovate a cottage on its Germantown campus that will serve as affordable, temporary housing for mothers transitioning out of homelessness. The organization is seeking to raise $500,000 to convert the historic building — which was constructed in 1902 — into two apartments.

Launching the fundraiser

Whitaker said the cottage, also called the John C. Winston Stable, has been vacant since roughly 2005, and the idea to renovate the building into apartments has been swirling around for years.

About three years ago, Whitaker met with someone from Immanuel Leidy’s Church in Souderton and the church agreed to take on the project as a mission. Yet the renovations stalled and Immanuel Leidy’s was unable to supply the labor needed to finish the job. Eventually, the church suggested turning to fundraising.

LTP first publicly announced the project in April with a fundraising breakfast. Several major donors attended the event and made pledges. So far, over $80,000 has been raised.

According to Whitaker, the timeline for the project is dependent on fundraising. However, once enough money is raised, the estimated length for renovations is six months.

Specifics of the cottage

Once completed, the cottage will fill a need for mothers who are not ready to live on their own. It also will help out those who need a more financially viable option. As rents increase across the city, Whitaker said it has gotten more and more difficult to find permanent housing solutions for the mothers. The subsidized cottage units will be 30% of the residents’ monthly income.

Women who live in the cottage will be on a two-year lease and will have mandatory case management and counseling. They will also have access to all of LTP’s other resources, including an alumni group, classes on topics such as parenting and finance, mentoring programs, debt counseling, and more. Plus, the proximity to LTP’s main house might come in handy.

“If they’re having a bad day, they can just walk across the parking lot, sit in my office, and cry if they need to or have a hug,” Whitaker said. “They’re not just out there alone.”

Residents will also have access to a private playground and landscaped grounds, providing a safe and therapeutic environment for families.

Having seen mothers turn back to their former unhealthy or unsafe habits after leaving the program, Whitaker is hopeful that the cottage will help women “get stronger before they go out on their own into the real world.”

“It will definitely increase their chances of permanent success and [prevent] reaching back into their former lifestyle to try to get help if they hit a rough spot,” Whitaker said. “We’re going to be here to continue to get the moms and families the support they need.”

To learn more and donate to Life Turning Point’s fundraising campaign, visit ltpphilly.org.

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.